Gen 1 question

[Robert1994]

My car is still not quite road worthy, soon I hope. But I
have been starting it and warming it up every couple of weeks.
Not warm enough (as you may recall)to start the cooling fan.
I just discovered a crack about 3" long in the right side
cat.
My concern is that when warming up the motor up to keep
things fresh, I get some water droplets draining out of the right
exhaust pipe at the rear of the rocker.
There is no steam coming out at all, there's no water in the
oil, and no water in the oil.
I know that condensation in the exhuast is common in areas with
with more variance in temperatures than we have here. Yet, I
wonder why only the right side pipe. Is it the crack in the
converter drawing in humid air ?
I would much rather hear that it's some sort of natural phenom
than think I have to deal with what appears to be a common head
gasket problem with gen 1 cars.
Any positive input ?

 

[RoyV101621]

The combustion of one gallon of gasoline produces sixteen gallons of water, mostly in vapor.

I'm guessing that the crack in the cat might draw in cool air, allowing more vapor to condensate and less effective function the the catalytic substrate.

With all the tuners around this board, a inexpensive, take-off cat should easily be obtained.

 

[Vip-RT10]

When my 93 use to start, it would make a small puddle of water on the floor until the cats got hot, then it wouldn't make any visible water marks. I think it's normal. During WOT, the car does make a puff of darker smoke, indicating unused gas, that is OK too. I hope you get up and going soon...I'm having other problems....

 

[Ulysses]

Take a look at the water and note the color. Does it look like coolant? Do a sniff test. Does it smell like coolant? That should help you rule out a gasket leak.

 

[Robert1994]

Thanks all,
That pretty much confirms my hopes. The droplets are clear,
have no real odor, only on the right side with the cracked
converter, and I'm sure the total doesn't amount to even a
quarter teaspoon. I wouldn't have worried about it except
for all the reported gen 1 head gasket problems.